By Emlen Healthy Roar reporters | Attendance can suffer when students are struggling with anxiety.
Because students are feeling anxious, they may start to experience physical symptoms and miss school, said Mrs. Seltzer, Emlen school counselor.
“Anxiety is being scared or nervous about something that is going to happen, something that may happen, or something that doesn’t end up happening,” said Mrs. Seltzer in an interview with Healthy Roar reporters.
As the school counselor, Mrs. Seltzer he spends time talking with students about their feelings.
Students can have problems in or out of school and she can teach students different skills depending on what they need.
Mrs. Seltzer also meets with teachers and parents and works closely with Ms. Thomas, school principal, to help students and families.
“Anxiety can be paralyzing,” which means that you may feel stuck in the worry, Mrs. Seltzer said.
“You might be worried about a test you have to take, and you think you might fail,” Mrs. Seltzer said. “So you’re upset and nervous and it could ruin your day because it puts you in a bad mood. Maybe you don’t want to talk to anyone.”
The good news is that there are strategies to help students manage anxiety. Mrs. Seltzer recommends:
- Practice mindfulness. This means that instead of focusing on what hasn’t happened yet, think about the present moment. Focus on what is right in front of you.
- Talk through it. Look at the situation and talk about what the possible outcomes could be. Is this going to be as bad as you fear? Talking through the situation can help you see that the outcomes might not be as bad as you think and you’ll be able to deal with them.
- Mrs. Seltzer has many responsibilities. Her other duties include overseeing Xello, an online college and career readiness program. The program evaluates a student’s skills and interests. It helps students to start thinking about what kind of career they might like to pursue.
- She also runs a Lunch Bunch program. Fourth-grade students are allowed to visit the counselor’s office during lunch where they chat, play games, and help Mrs. Seltzer with a variety of tasks. For instance, they run errands around the building.
Illustration by Maggie, 7th grade, MaST, 2025-2026.
